


The Tholian Web:  Irrational Space

by Cheree_Cargill



Series: Glimpses of a Life [68]
Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Command Decisions, Episode: s03e09 The Tholian Web, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:32:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheree_Cargill/pseuds/Cheree_Cargill
Summary: Following the incident in Tholian space, Kirk and Spock discuss the performance of both Spock and McCoy.





	The Tholian Web:  Irrational Space

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount Studios, Inc. The story contents are the creation and property of Cheree Cargill and is copyright (c) 2018 by Cheree Cargill. This story is Rated PG.

_Stardate:_ _5694._ _5._ _Personal Log._ _First Officer Spock recording._

Captain Kirk moved a chess piece and asked me casually, "Spock? Why did you lie to me?"

"Sir?" I looked up from the chessboard, surprised.

"You heard me. Why did you lie to me?"

"To what are you referring, Captain?" I responded, although I knew.

"About not listening to my final orders. Did you think I wouldn't check my safe? My things had been moved. You and Bones opened my safe and took my stuff out, which leads me to believe that you and he did, in fact, listen to my final orders. Didn't you?"

He was staring at me now and he wasn't blinking. I stared back for a few seconds then had no choice but to admit the truth. "Yes, Captain. After I believed you dead and led your memorial service, Dr. McCoy and I went to your cabin and listened to the tape."

"So, why tell me a bald-faced lie? I wouldn't have expected that from you, Spock." Jim's gaze held notes of both censure and hurt.

I couldn't answer him because, frankly, I didn't know. "Vulcans don't lie," I answered with a platitude.

"Yeah, yeah, they exaggerate, prevaricate, omit the truth. I've heard them all, but in your case, you flat out lied. How do you explain that, Mr. Spock?" The Captain still had me pinned visually to the wall.

I sighed heavily, looking down at the chess pieces. "Frankly, sir, I cannot give you an explanation. At the time, it seemed logical to go along with what Dr. McCoy was saying there on the bridge."

"Why?"

"I don't know, sir. Perhaps the irrationality that was pervasive in the Tholian space affected me as well."

"We weren't in Tholian space anymore," Kirk pointed out.

"Jim, I can't explain it any more than that." I looked back up at him, hoping he would back down from his interrogation. "Many of the crew were affected by it. I believe that Dr. McCoy may have been a bit irrational himself."

"Hm-hmm." The Captain looked back to the board. "You gonna move?"

I quickly did so and for a few moments, the focus was back on the game. At least his was. I made a bad move and he quickly checked me.

As I was pondering how I was going to save my game, he commented, "Bones came to see me, you know. He was complaining about how you acted during the crisis?"

"Indeed?"

"Yes. And I read him the riot act about insubordination."

I felt my eyebrows go up in surprise. "Did he tell you--"

"Yes. He said you ripped him a new asshole – his words – after he'd harassed you – my words – over the way you handled the Tholian attack and in waiting in the area to recover me. I reminded him of other instances when he'd overstepped his bounds as Chief Medical Officer while you were in command. The Galileo incident, the time with the Planet Killer when Matt Decker assumed command, other times when he'd let his innate prejudice against you supersede his authority."

"You believe him to be prejudiced?" I pondered that. "I always considered his harping and attempts to insult me simply a manifestation of his insecurity."

Jim leaned back in his chair and favored me with an expression I couldn't read. "Spock, you did exactly as I would have done. When you are in command, _you are in command!_ Over the past three years, you have come a long way as a line officer and I never have any problem whatsoever in the way you command this ship in my stead. I won't tolerate any officer or crewman undermining your authority. Bones has no reason to hang around on the bridge when he has nothing better to do, and criticizing your decisions in front of the crew is material for a general court-martial if we chose to take it that far."

"I believe that the Doctor was merely reacting to the space," I answered in his defense. "In fact, I told him to forget it."

"No! I don't intend to forget it!" the Captain snapped. "In a crisis, his interference on the bridge could lead to a deadly mistake during a critical command decision or timing a response. His place is in Sick Bay and I ordered him to stay there when the ship is in combat. Bones is one of my best friends and one of the best medical officers in the Fleet – when he sticks to medical issues. But I will not allow him to poke his nose in where it doesn't belong."

Kirk took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. "Cold. Well, I've had enough caffeine anyway." He looked back up at me. "Spock, you did exactly the right thing in reprimanding him after we got back on course and away from the Tholians. And I told him so. If he chooses to complain to higher officials up the ladder, then I'll back you 100%."

"I believe that he was over-stressed and affected by the irrational space," I answered, studying my next move. "I logged my conversation with him afterwards in which I reminded him of the facts of my command. I have progressed on to other things." I thought back to the meeting with McCoy while the Captain was still recovering in sick bay.

_McCoy had come in to the briefing room with a satisfied look on his face. "Well, we got Jim back despite your bungling everything," he began._

_I stopped him there. "Dr. McCoy," I said coldly, "I intend to file a reprimand on your official record regarding your performance during the Tholian incident. I will not go so far as to log your interference as incitement to mutiny, but I want this clearly understood. When the Captain is off this ship, I am in command. I am not playing as if I am in command, I AM IN COMMAND! You are to follow my orders to the letter. You are not to criticize me in front of the crew or second guess my command decisions. Is that clearly understood?"_

_He was fuming, his face turning red. "Now, you listen here, you green-blooded pointy-eared--"_

_"And that's another thing," I broke in. "I will no longer tolerate your references to my physiological and cultural make up. I do not call you a 'red-blooded round-eared Human' and you will respect my heritage as I do yours. Is that clear?" He didn't answer, almost shaking with fury. "IS THAT CLEAR?!"_

_"Yes, that's clear. May I please be excused, SIR?"_

_"Dismissed," I answered icily. He turned sharply on his heel and charged out the door. I had a feeling he'd take his complaints straight to Captain Kirk but I had said what I'd intended to say to him._

Still pondering the memory, I moved my bishop to the second level. Jim pounced at once. "Checkmate!" he crowed in triumph. Noting my exasperated expression, he said, "You were distracted tonight. You'll beat me tomorrow."

"A good game, Jim. Thank you for playing." I began to move the white pieces back to the starting position as he did the same with the black ones.

"And, Spock … don't lose any sleep over McCoy. He'll simmer down and do his job."

"I assure you, Jim, I will not suffer lack of sleep," I responded, rising. "Now I _will_ bid you good night. I must complete the analysis on the Tholian energy web and file my report with Starfleet."

Jim stood up as well. "Yes, I've got to figure out how to explain what it was like being in that interdimensional void. And, Spock?" I peered at him in inquiry. "Thanks for sticking around to rescue me. But I just wonder what became of the _Defiant_. I wonder what dimension she ended up in and if she'll ever be found."

With that, we both left the rec room and headed down the corridor to our respective quarters. Something in the back of my mind poked at me. I needed to search through the data that I had managed to download during the interdimensional transfer at Halka. I seemed to remember a passing reference to a Captain Archer and a ship he had found. I resolved to research this further before I retired for the night.

THE END

 


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